Archive for the 'The Shangri Las' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

What an uncommon and unforgettable treat it was to watch Jeff Beck Friday night in Pomona, ripping away at the “Peter Gunn” theme with wizardly fretwork and replicating with exact precision all those tricky, intricate licks that make up the swooning ditty “How High the Moon.”

It's a blast into the past that, given Beck's progressive artistry, never seemed likely to happen -- and indeed needed a death to occur to inspire it into action. While fellow guitar god Eric Clapton has spent chunks of his later years saluting blues heroes both long gone (Robert Johnson) and still with us (B.B. King), Beck, a master interpreter for whom standards and remakes have always been a part of his repertoire, nonetheless has only now gotten 'round to paying full-length homage to one of the most revered trailblazers, six-string innovator Les Paul.

And what a treasure his tribute has been. A little less than a year after Paul passed away in 2009, Beck initially staged what seemed like a one-off “Rock 'n' Roll Party,” commemorating what would have been his 95th birthday, by gathering friends at the Iridium Jazz Club, the tiny NYC joint where Paul played almost weekly for many years. Enlisting the support of Irish ingénue Imelda May, her English rockabilly husband Darrel Higham and their ace rhythm section, double-bassist Al Gare and drummer Stephen Rushton, the former Yardbird, now 66, got back to basics on a clutch of classics with cameos from, among others, Gary U.S. Bonds and Brian Setzer.

The whole joyous occasion was recorded; in February it was issued as a 20-track CD and even longer DVD from Atco. Yet, lively and moving as the performance was, it hardly conveys the crackling excitement that Beck and his crew have been creating nightly on a brief stateside tour re-creating that shindig, sans big-name guest stars.

Their straightforward but striking production rolled into a packed Fox Theater this weekend, and though the audience's reaction was somewhat subdued to start -- one wonders if half the crowd really knew what they were in for (did they just come to see Beck wail?) -- halfway into the roughly 90-minute set people were leaping up to offer standing ovations. By the time it was over, with a wrenching rendition of “Danny Boy” that found Beck matching May's impassioned vocals with a searing solo, they were roaring for more.

February 8th, 2010, 12:40 am by ANGELA POTTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Girls didn't drink free Friday night at Detroit Bar, but it was lady's night on stage.

After first appearing earlier in the day further down the 405 at UCI, Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls bantered and giggled their way through a speedy 45-minute set Friday night at the Costa Mesa club. Their energy was contagious: an abridged version of "He's Gone," a Chantels cover, was fitting, as the band's surf 'n' shoegaze sound is influenced by nothing so much as '50s and '60s girl bands like the Shangri-Las.

Singer/bassist Kickball Katy's voice is softer and sweeter than her fierce name and fiery red hair let on. The bouncy rhythm of "Can't Get Over You," punctuated by Katy's and guitarist/co-vocalist Cassie Ramone's jumps, was a standout in a show dominated by tracks from Everything Goes Wrong, the band's sophomore release from September.

The Girls once again showcased their musical skills, switching up instruments and playing a tight (if not flawless) set. The only thing lacking from their performance, actually, was some of the rawness and ferocity that comes across on their self-titled first release, from 2008. Vivian Girls, like too many other bands, are quickly smoothing out their punk edge as they mature. Their softer, more melodic music is blissful -- it's just missing a little something.